The Best Online Mattresses

An overwhelming 96% of consumers shop online with Millennials and Gen-X buying most goods on the web. In 2006, the first internet mattress company began selling bed-in-a-box products. A decade later, the industry is booming, and roughly 20-30% of mattress sales happen online.

Hundreds of mattress makers sell online direct to consumers, and the quality and value meet or exceeds in-store buying. With no middle man and little overhead, buyers can get a much better deal on a higher quality bed than they could afford at a brick and mortar shop.

For a detailed look at buying online versus in-store, check out this guide. Below is a roster of the best online mattresses we’ve found, pros and cons of online shopping, and a step-by-step guide to buying a mattress online.

Reviews of Our Favorite Online Mattresses

Leesa

Construction:

The Leesa is an all-foam 10” mattress built with three layers. The support core is 6” polyfoam. The lower comfort layer is 2” thick contouring memory foam. The upper comfort layer is 2” cooling proprietary Avena® foam. The cover is poly-Lycra blend designed to cool. The bed rates medium-firm about 5.5 on the 1-10 mattress industry firmness scale.

Pros and Cons:

The foams in the bed are all CertiPUR-US certified. The upper comfort layer recovers quickly, and the bed has a nice bounce for sex. At just $995 for a queen-sized bed, it’s a good value for a quality night’s sleep. At medium-firm, it performs well for all sleep positions. The downside is it might not offer enough support for very heavy people.

Why Leesa Made Our List:

Leesa’s proprietary Avena® foam cools better than other foams. The medium-firm rating appeals to a wide array of sleepers. It’s a good value for a large chunk of the mattress buying market unless you are at the very low or high end of the weight scale or have more extreme sleep preferences. It’s a good, all-purpose bed.

Nest Alexander Signature Hybrid

Construction:

This Nest Bedding product has five layers and is 13.5” tall. The dual support core is 8” pocket coils with edge support and 1” of support foam. There are three comfort layers. The first is 1.5” copper-infused foam then 1.5” of cooling TitanChil foam. The topmost is 1.5” gel-infused memory foam for cooling. The cover is thermic phase-change fabric.

Pros and Cons:

One selling point is three firmness options at plush, medium, and luxury firm rated roughly 3, 5.5, and 8 on the industry scale. The foams are CertiPUR-US certified for low VOCs. At less than $1,200, this Nest bed is a good value for those with a bit more to spend. The downside is that Nest is a newer company and still building a track record.

Why the Alexander Signature Hybrid Made Our List:

Nest makes a thick comfortable hybrid perfect for all sleep positions. It performs well for those with back pain, has excellent edge support, and impressive reviews from buyers. The airflow in the pocket coils and chill foam tech ensure it doesn’t sleep hot. It’s a top choice with many excellent attributes.

Purple

Construction:

The original Purple mattress has a 4” high-density polyfoam support core and dual comfort layers. The lower is 3.5” of high-density polyfoam, but it’s the upper comfort layer that makes the reputation of this bed. The top is the patented 2” Purple hyper-elastic Smart Comfort Grid™. The cover is responsive knit.

Pros and Cons:

The big selling point of Purple is the “no pressure” sensation meaning no matter your sleep position, you shouldn’t feel the bed pushing into your pressure points. Buyers like the support and cool sleep of the high-tech grid. The cons are that very lightweight people may feel some pressure on the Purple.

Why Purple Made Our List:

At a price point of less than $1,000 and a medium-firm, low-pressure design, Purple performs well for most sleepers in all positions. For hot or heavy sleepers, the Smart Grid performs exceptionally well. The bed doesn’t feel like anything you’ve slept on before, but that can be a good thing.

Saatva

Construction:

Saatva is a hybrid bed made with natural and sustainably sourced materials. The 7” support core coils are recycled steel. There’s a 4” layer of comfort pocket coils under memory foam and a 3” Euro-top that varies based on your preferred firmness. There’s an 11.5” version without the Euro-top for adjustable beds. The cover is organic cotton.

Pros and Cons:

The Saatva offers many enviable features including three firmness levels at soft, luxury firm, and firm (rated 3, 6, and 8). At less than $1,000, the quality materials speak to durability, and the dual coils ensure it sleeps cool. The cons are that the mattress isn’t intended for sleepers that are very heavy, weighing more than 300 pounds.

Why Saatva Made Our List:

Saatva is unique in the online market because it’s not a bed in a box and is never compressed. They offer free white-glove delivery and set-up in the continental US and most of Canada plus free old mattress takeaway. The bed has a nice bounce and good edge support. Plus, the company has a solid reputation in the market.

Tomorrow Sleep Hybrid

Construction:

Tomorrow Sleep offers a 5-layer hybrid with a thin base layer of high-density polyfoam under 7” pocket coils with thick edge support foam. There’s extra support in the 1.5” bounce memory foam layer. The gel swirl memory foam varies in height by firmness chosen, and the top is 1” open-cell memory foam under a phase-change cover for cooling.

Pros and Cons:

This hybrid has excellent edge support and is exceptionally well-made for less than $900. The pocket coils help the bed sleep cooler, and the temperature-regulating material in the cover keeps the memory foams from being too hot. The cons are that this is a very heavy bed and it might take it a bit longer to uncompress than other beds in a box.

Why Tomorrow Sleep Made Our List:

Mattress legacy firm Serta is the force behind Tomorrow Sleep, so that’s impressive plus the sleep night trial lasts a full year which speaks to their confidence in the product. This hybrid offers the advantages of contouring memory foam without loss of responsiveness and still sleeps cool – all at an affordable cost.

Zenhaven

Construction:

Tomorrow Sleep offers a 5-layer hybrid with a thin base layer of high-density polyfoam under 7” pocket coils with thick edge support foam. There’s extra support in the 1.5” bounce memory foam layer. The gel swirl memory foam varies in height by firmness chosen, and the top is 1” open-cell memory foam under a phase-change cover for cooling.

Pros and Cons:

This hybrid has excellent edge support and is exceptionally well-made for less than $900. The pocket coils help the bed sleep cooler, and the temperature-regulating material in the cover keeps the memory foams from being too hot. The cons are that this is a very heavy bed and it might take it a bit longer to uncompress than other beds in a box.

Why Amerisleep AS5 Is Our Best Choice for Softest Bed:

Mattress legacy firm Serta is the force behind Tomorrow Sleep, so that’s impressive plus the sleep night trial lasts a full year which speaks to their confidence in the product. This hybrid offers the advantages of contouring memory foam without loss of responsiveness and still sleeps cool – all at an affordable cost.

How to Approach Buying a Mattress Online

Buying a mattress online is one of the best ways to get a lot more mattress for your precious dollars. But how do you get started and what can you do to make sure you get the best bed for you? Here are some ways to approach the process.

1 - Determine your price range

Because online mattresses vary widely in price, you should set a realistic budget that won’t break the bank, but also won’t shortchange your sleep experience. A mattress is your most important furniture purchase as you’ll spend roughly one-third of your life on it. If you can, spend at least $800-$1,000 for a high-quality queen-sized bed.

2 – Do your research

Understand what components/features you need in a bed: Do you need an adjustable base? Is edge support important? Do you want an all-natural or organic mattress?

Understand how support, comfort, and firmness relate: Support, comfort, and firmness are unique concepts and determined by different parts of the mattress.

Understand sleep issues and how they impact bed choice: Are you a hot or heavy sleeper? Do you have lower back pain? Do you sleep with a partner or alone?

3 – Narrow down choices

Once you know what you want and how much you can spend, you can narrow the possibilities, so you’re not overwhelmed by options. There are tons of online mattress brands (just as in-store), but you can quickly cull to make a short list of great options.

4 – Understand the trial period and limitations

Because you must evaluate the bed in-home, reputable online brands offer a sleep trial. You try the bed for 100-365 nights, depending on the maker’s policies, and return or exchange if it doesn’t work for you. It’s important to understand the terms and conditions, but most are generous and accommodating.

Pros and Cons of Buying a Mattress Online

You probably buy online all the time but may be worried that a mattress is different. It’s not. You can get a great bed with a lot less aggravation than at a mattress store. Check out the pros and cons of buying a mattress online.

Pros

Cons

Pros

Price – Brick and mortar stores mark-up mattresses astronomically to cover overhead. You can get a much better mattress online for far less money than in a mattress shop.

Transparency – In-store brands sell the same bed under different names to create confusion. Online brands are transparent about materials and construction for easy comparison.

Convenience – Buying online is great. You can do your research and make your purchase from anywhere then wait for doorstep delivery of your mattress.

No sales pressure – Because there’s no pushy salesperson, you can buy in a relaxed atmosphere. Most online makers offer help via phone or chat with zero pressure to push a sale.

Excellent customer support – Both before and after your purchase, you’ll find most online mattress brands will discuss comfort, concerns, and do everything to make you happy.

Shipping – Shipping is usually free from online brands and in some cases, white glove (i.e., delivery, set-up, and old mattress takeaway) delivery is free or low-cost.

Returns – Most online brands offer hassle-free returns with 100% refunds. In some cases, you might be asked to return a small fee if you got free white glove delivery.

Fees – You won’t get hit with any surprise fees when buying online. Everything is spelled out, and if you choose any upgrades or options, the price is clearly displayed.

Satisfaction – A non-profit study found that less than 40% of people got good sleep on a store-bought bed. Consumers typically rate satisfaction with mattresses bought online much higher.

Cons

Can’t try out first – The primary worry is not being able to lie on the bed before you buy. That’s why there’s a sleep trial, and you can also read reviews to gauge sleep experience.

Mattress removal issues – Some online makers won’t haul away your old bed, but the same goes for mattress stores. Check out FAQs or talk to customer service about options.

Mattress installation/set-up – Most bed-in-a-box brands are easy to set up. If you have concerns and think you’ll need help, chat with customer service for assistance.

Personal assistance – You might feel you’re alone in the buying process, but you can get your questions answered. Call the mattress maker or chat online on the site for assistance.

10-step Guide to Buying a Mattress Online

Let’s get ready to buy your next mattress online. Use this step-by-step guide to get what you need at an affordable price and without hassle.

1 – Assess your current mattress

Step one is to know what you like and don’t like about your current mattress.

Is your bed on its last legs?

Do you like the firmness or is it too rigid?

Do you wake achy?

Do you want a similar bed of the same materials?

Does your current bed hug and contour?

Does it sleep hot?

2 – Set your budget

Decide what you can afford. We recommend at least $800-$1,000 since it’s an investment in your health. Set a target price and an upper limit so if you find a spendier mattress with premium materials, enhanced tech, or desirable features, you can splurge a little.

3 – Assess sleep position and body type

Knowing how you sleep and how it affects mattress choice is critical. Side sleepers need greater pressure relief. Stomach sleepers need a firmer surface. Hot sleepers and those with greater BMI need cooling materials and a less plush bed.

4 – Test drive some mattresses

Go to a showroom and check out different firmness and materials.

Slow down, spend some time on each bed and assess how it feels and moves.

Ignore the pushy salespeople and focus on your experience. Don’t get talked into buying!

5 – Go back online and research beds after the test drive

Once you have your budget, materials, and preferences in mind, it’s time to get online and look at brands. Focus on those that have features you preferred during your in-store lie-down test.

6 – Narrow down your choices

After doing your homework, narrow down choices by eliminating anything that exceeds your upper limit price, that you’re uncertain of, or for whom you didn’t like the reviews.

Are the materials durable?

Is it in your price range?

Does the brand have a good reputation?

Does it tick all your boxes?

7 – Check the specs

Check out specifications of the materials. Look for hallmarks of quality and durability.

If it’s not clear, chat with customer support or call the maker.

If the specs meet your needs, put it on your shortlist.

Make sure it works for your sleep position and body type.

8 – Buy!

Once you decide, click, purchase, and wait for your new bed to show up at your home.

9 – Assess after 30/60/90 days depending on sleep trial

Be sure you know the sleep trial limits so that you take your time to assess the bed without exceeding the evaluation period. Usually, beds need to break-in and will sleep differently on the first night versus night 30. Take your time and really experience the bed.

10 – Protect your investment!

Take good care of your bed so that it lasts. Check out the manufacturer’s care and cleaning recommendations and rotate or flip it (if recommended). If you have any problems, contact customer service immediately.